Rail joint and fastener.



' G. E. MARTIN. RAIL JOINT AND FASTENER. APPLICATION I'ILED DBO. 29,1910.

' 985,688. .Patented Feb.28,1911.

WITNESSES 3? kiiw wqa.

snare GEORGE E. MARTIN, OF SMOCK, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL JOINT AND rAsTEN n.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 28, 191i.

Application filed December 29, 1910. Serial No. 599,804.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonon E. MARTIN, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing-at Smock, in the county of Fayette and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful improvements in RailJoints and Fasteners, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to rail joints and fasteners, and the objects ofmy invention are to provide a rail joint that will prevent lateral andvertical displacement of the con which it is intended. I 7 With theseand such other objects in view as frontiitg ends of two rails, and tofurnish effective means for preventing longitudinal dis lacement of therails relative to a tie. (d ther objects of my invention are to providea rail joint that can be installed without the use of skilled labor, andto furnish novel meanswhereby after a portion of the joint ispositioned, the remaining portions can be adjusted and fixed topositively hold the rails in place. l v

Further objects of the invention are LO furnish'a rail joint with novelmeans for .aflording practically a continuous tread for 'rollmg stock,and to accomplish the above re- .SlllilS by a joint that issimple inconstruction, durable, free frorninjury by ordinary use and highlyefiicient for the purposes for .ma'yhe'reinafter appear, the inventioncon= slsts of the novel construction, comblnatlon and arrangement ofparts to be hereinafter specifically described and then claimed.

Reference will now be had to the drawing, wherein like numerals ofreference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, inwhich Figure lis a side elevation of a tie provided with the rail joint,Fig. Bis a longitudinal sectional'view'of a portion of the joint, Fig. 3is a horizontal sectional view of the same, and Fig. 4 is a perspectiveview of one of the inner rail fasteners.

The reference numeral 1 denotes a tie or sleeper, preferably made ofwood and adapted to support rails 2 constituting a track, these railsbeing located adjacent to the ends of the tie and providing a track of adesired gage. To secure the rails 2 upon the tie 1, outer and inner railfasteners are employed, eachouter rail fastener comprising a splice bar3 having the-lower edge thereof along the sides of the tie 1 underthebase flange 6 of the rail, the flanges 5 having the inner edgesthereof beveled, as at T. The inner sides of tho splice bars 3 areprovided with stud-bolts or pins 8 adapted to extend through theordinary bolt openings 9 in the webs 10 of adjoining rails. The pins orbolts 8 are arranged to engage the webs of both of the adjoining rails,and the splice bar is reinforced by an inverted or pyramidical-shapedenlargement 11, said enlargement having the apex thereof in proximity tothe upper edge of the splice bar and the base thereof approximately thesame length as the splice bar and the outer edge thereof protruding onto the extension 4. The extension 4 is provided with spike openings 12whereby after the outer fastener has been positioned upon the tie,spikes 13 or other fastening means can be employed for securing theextension to the tie.

The inner rail fasteners are somewhat similar to the outer railfasteners, the following differences being noted. -The'pins S of theinner rail fastener are staggered with relation to the pins 8 of theouter rail fastener whereby both of said rail fasteners will cooperatein preventing longitudi: nal displacement of the rails. The inwardlyprojecting flanges 5 of the inner rail fasteners have the edges thereofbeveled the reverse of the outer rail fasteners, whereby the bevelededges of the flanges 5 will snugly meet, as best shown in Fig. 1.Further, the extensions 4 of the inner rail fasteners are provided withsockets 14 to receive the outer ends 15 of a turn-buckle 16, theturn-buckle being of a conventional form that can be used when layingthe track or installed as a permanent fixture in connection with eachrail joint.

The manner of assembling the parts of the rail fastener is asfollows:After the gage of the track has been determined and the tiesproperly positioned, the outer rail fasteners are placed in position andspiked to the tie and the rails 2 placed in position against said outerfasteners. In somei-instances, however the raild can be positioned andthen the outer fasteners placed in osition. After the outer railfasteners ave been secured to the tie and the rails placed .theturn-buckle still in position, the inner rail fasteners are spiked orotherwise secured to the tie, and then if it is desired the turn-bucklecan be removed.

From the foregoing it will be observed that I have devised a rail jointthat is positive in its action, easy to install, and while in thedrawing there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention, itis to be understood that the structural elements thereof are susceptibleto such varia tions as fall within the scope of the appended claims. I

Vhat I claim is 1. In a rail joint, the combination With a tie and theconfronting ends of rails adapted to be supported by said tie, of outerrail fasteners adapted to brace the outer sides of said rails, innerrail fasteners adapted to brace the inner sides of said tie, each railfastener comprising a splice bar having a lateral extension, apyramidical shaped enlargement adapted to brace said barand theextension thereof, pins carried bythe inner side of the splice bar andadapted to extend through openings provided therefor in the Webs of saidrails, inwardly extendingflanges carried by said bar and adapted toextend under the base flanges of said rails and confront the fianges'ofan adjoining fastener, said inner fasteners having the extensionsthereof provided with sockets, a turn-buckle adapted to have the endsthereof engage in the sockets of said splice bar, an extension carriedthereby, an enlargement reinforcing said bar and said extension,inwardly projecting flanges carried by each bar and adapted to engageunder said rails at the sides of said tie, and a turn-buckle interposedbetween said inner against said outer fasteners.

In a rail oint, the combination with a tie, and ralls adapted to besupported thereby, of outer rail fasteners adapted to brace the outersides of said rails, inner rail fasteners adapted to brace the innersides.

of said rails, each fastener comprising a splice bar, an extensioncarried thereby, an enlargement reinforcing said bar and said extension,inwardly projecting flanges carried by each bar and adapted to engageunder said rails at the sides of said tie, a turn-buckleinterposed'between said inner fasteners and'adapted to clamp said innerfasteners againstsaid rails and said rails against said outer fasteners,and means including spikes adapted to extend. through said extensionsand hold said fasteners upon said tie.

' In testimony whereofI atiix my signature in the presence of twoWitnesses.

GEORGE E. MARTIN.

itnesses v ELLEN SPRINGER, l C. C. GARLnrrs.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington. D. C.

of said rails, each fastener comprising a fasteners and adapted to clampsaid 'iniierf fasteners against sa1d ralls and said ralls

